Work Text:
Something like that would never happen in real life – and especially not to us.
Something like that is what you see in movies and dramas.
That is also the only place where such an end would be possible.
Or so we thought but we were proved wrong in a long and painful way.
There was nothing special about that day. We all had to get up early to meet at the Jimushou since the van would pick us up at six o'clock. You would expect us all to be tired but instead we were overly excited as if this would be the first time for us to stand in front of a camera. And in some way we felt exactly that way.
"It's weird.", I could hear Nino mutter who was sitting right next to me. I turned around and saw him looking at the sky which was still dark. No single cloud was seen which predicted a pretty hot day. He didn't seem to talk to anyone of us though. However Aiba who was sitting on my left side replied asking: "What do you mean?"
"We all standing in front of a camera again - together.", Nino explained and glanced at him. "Not for a TV show or a concert but for a drama. We haven't done that since Pikanchi."
"True.", I said, smiling at the memories his words brought back.
"And this time it's even a drama and not just a movie." Matsu seemed really excited about that and jumped to his feet saying: "The van is arriving!"
We all got up and entered the car as soon as it stopped. Talking about the shootings of the movies and other acting experiences we went to find a place to sit in the back of the car. It was said that it would take about three hours for us to arrive at the shooting place and at first we all chatted happily but slowly every one of us felt the lack of sleep and one after another fell asleep.
When I woke up I was the only one left in the car. I glanced outside and realized that we had already arrived at our place of destination. While looking around wondering where the others went I noticed Nino standing in the front of the car smiling brightly at me.
"What?", I wanted to know raising in eyebrow.
"Oh nothing.", he answered still grinning and turned around to leave. I got up and followed him out of the car. Everyone was busy preparing for the first scenes and I quickly went to get my makeup and hair done. There was still time before we would start filming so I decided to change my clothes later. I then closed my eyes and sighed still feeling tired and not ready to film at all even though on the other hand I couldn't wait to finally start.
"Seemed like you had a nice dream.", I suddenly heard a voice behind me and in the mirrors in front of me I could see Aiba crossing the room. I turned around in the chair and smiled.
"Maybe. I can’t remember."
Aiba took the seat beside me.
"I wonder how the fans will think about this drama.", I changed the topic.
"Hmm..."
He leaned his head to the side which always made him look adorable – or so the fans said. Honestly I couldn’t understand which part of it looked adorable. It's not that he wasn't handsome –even I as a man had to admit that– but maybe that's a woman thing.
"I’m sure they will love it since they always wanted us to act together again."
Ohno suddenly appeared in front of us.
"Sho-kun, you better change into your outfit. We're good in time so we're gonna start earlier."
I got up and nodded. While changing my clothes I still thought about it. There would be no Arashi for the next few months so the expectations of the fans would probably be high. Would they be satisfied or disappointed?
A 'click' followed by a "Lost in thoughts" got my attention. I looked around to see a smiling Matsu holding a camera. Just now I noticed that I still hadn't put on my trousers.
"Maybe I should post it on the internet!", he said looking like he was really thinking about it.
"OI!", I growled, quickly changing into the jeans and chasing Matsu who was now laughing and hiding behind our leader.
"Guys, we're going to start filming."
One of the staff members entered to room and we all followed him to the set where Nino was already waiting.
"What took you so long?", he wanted to know raising and eyebrow.
"Sho-kun in underwear.", Aiba replied and caused Matsu to start laughing again.
"You will pay for that later, Matsu.", I yelled before following the instructions and going to the park bench where I was supposed to sit in the first scene.
Despite some technical problems in the beginning everything went smoothly. We were way before the schedule and were allowed to take a short break where the first thing everyone could think of was to drink something. It was around two o'clock and the sun was burning down on us. Even though it was too hot to even take a step out of the house everyone enjoyed the time on set.
If I would have known what would happen that day ... but I couldn't have known and even if, I wouldn't have been able to change anything. It would have probably happened one way or another...
After the end of the break we went back to the set. The next scene was a short action scene Aiba and I would be doing. There was some wire action in it but we got used to it quickly. It wasn't something special anyways. Probably something that others like Kame or Takizawa-kun were doing pretty often. Everything went fine until something happened. Even if you ask me now what exactly had happened I can't tell you because I don't remember anything.
In one second Aiba was told to jump from a rooftop to attack me and in the other second he was lying on the road.
No one moved – we were all in shock. I guess I was the first to start running towards him but I don't remember it clearly. I heard some male staff members shouting and women screaming while kneeling down beside him.
"Aiba! Are you okay?", I asked but he didn't move. I shouted his name again and again but he still didn't react in any way. And I panicked. I was about to shake him, to forcefully get him to open his eyes when a pair of hands on my shoulders stopped me from doing so. I looked up and right into Nino's pale face. He somehow managed to drag me away from Aiba and just then I noticed the blood around his head. My whole body began to shake and I could feel Nino's grip tightening.
In the end I don't remember when the ambulance had come. I don't even remember how we had gotten to the hospital. The next thing I remember is what the doctor had told us.
"Aiba-san received life-threatening brain damage. Even if he gains consciousness again it's not said that he will recover completely."
The way he pointed out the 'if' made me furious.
"He WILL wake up again.", I said but the doctor just smiled and walked away telling us that we could contact him if needed.
At that time I felt like killing him. There was no way that Aiba would die – that's how I felt and that's what I believed.
After the doctor left I entered the room where Aiba was lying. The steady peep of the life supporting machines greeted me and I immediately felt like leaving again. Hearing this and watching my friend who looked like he would wake up any moment was unbearable but I stayed. I sat down and watched him.
I watched him, when the others entered the room.
I watched him, when his family came.
I watched him, when the nurses came to collect some data from all these machines which were attached to him.
I watched him all the time without noticing that I started crying – and the others didn't say anything. They told me later that there were times where they were more worried about me than about Aiba. I got angry and yelled at them but now I understand what they might have been thinking.
Every day was the same.
I went to visit Aiba, left when visiting time was over, ate something, went to bed, got up und visited Aiba again. I once watched a movie where a man whose wife was also in a coma always talked to her. In the end she woke up because she could hear him. I didn't really believe that but I was desperate so I started talking to him. The others did too and this went on and on and on.
We visited him every day, talked to him and left, just to come back the next day.
One day his mother came to us right after she talked to the doctor. It had been four months since the accident and she had decided to disconnect Aiba from life support. I must have turned pale and the others probably did too because she had a worried look on her face.
"You can't do that!", I suddenly burst out shaking my head.
"It's your son who's lying here! How can you abandon him so easily?!", Ohno shouted.
"I know that.", she said calmly but tears were forming in her eyes. "But it has already been four months and his condition hasn't progressed at all. I talked to the doctor. The longer it takes the smaller is the chance of him waking up and recovering from this accident."
I clenched my fists.
"No! I won't let you!", I said. "I'm not willing to give him up yet!"
"That's not for you to decide.", the doctor said who just entered the room.
"Sho-kun is right!", Matsu agreed who was standing next to me. "He's still alive!"
"He's our friend, we can't just abandon him!", Nino yelled and Ohno added: "We need him!"
At that moment everything happened so fast.
The annoying peeps of the life supporting machines suddenly changed. Nurses came rushing in and the doctor went straight to Aiba.
And we?
We just stood there unsure of what to think. What happened just now?
And then, suddenly, the peeping tone stopped. They had turned off the machines.
"NO!", I shouted and pushed my way through all the people.
How could they just give up that easily?
They didn’t even try to do anything!
That’s what I thought but when I managed to get to Aiba I froze. I stared at him, not really able to believe what my eyes were showing me.
Aiba was lying there, his eyes were open and he was looking around with an unfocused look. The nurses and the doctor stepped aside and as soon as they did that the others surrounded the bed Aiba was lying in. Tears were forming in my eyes and I could hear Nino sniffle next to me.
We finally got him back.
Later he told us something I will never forget for the rest of my life:
"You know, how everyone is talking about this light you see when you're dying? I've seen it and I was about to give up and decided to just go right into it."
He had looked at us while smiling the whole time.
"The reason I didn't was you guys! I don't know how this can be possible but I heard you talking to me. But what really kept me from giving up were you telling me that you need me."
He said that and added: "Thanks to you I'm still alive."
We never thought something like that really happens.
We never thought talking to someone who's in a coma would be helpful.
But it is and it taught us one thing: To never lose hope!
Because where there is hope there is also a way!